I Love You
by airbendergal
Summary: ...Because sometimes the simplest things are hardest to say... //Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor is expecting a guest. A girl named Katrina will change his life forever. She will show the emperor life beyond the palace walls...and some lessons about love.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Archades. This city was the capital of the Archadia; seat of the empire and home to the long line of Emperors from the year 417. Archades was marked by moss-covered skyscrapers colored tan, but the tallest skyscraper was the Imperial Palace, home to Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor.

Believe it or not, the emperor had been merely a boy of fourteen. Two years ago, his whole family was murdered in the war and he was the only one left who could assume the throne. Larsa made a really large sacrifice to take the burden at empire, for he was neither a child nor a man.

Being fourteen, he grew taller and his shoulders broader and his brows thicker. He still had those mysterious dark blew eyes and wind-swept dark brown hair. He still had all of his boyish features and his sweet, shy smile. A lot of things had changed during those two yeard.

But during those two years (those two horrible years), Larsa learned a lot about politics and corruption. He had bills to sign, treaties and laws to veto. He had to re-instate the crippled senate and burn the candle on writing letters around the world. He had to admit it was tiring work. Larsa gained a lot of experience from this and possibly gained a stubborn attitude from the whole lot of devious men called senators.

But today was a very special day.

Emperor Larsa had been reading the latest report from the Bureau of Justice; the ninth division to be exact. He was confused by all the charts and graphs and the messy handwritings of the drafters. "Oh gods," he muttered to himself. "This is the fifth one today. Must those blasted senators send me more papers? Oh dear, our guest is coming over soon and I do not want to disappoint her."

Larsa bit his lower lip and rose from his seat. He studied the paper by a large, glass window overlooking all of Archades.

Suddenly, someone had busted through the doors. Without knocking, Judge Magister Gabranth, Larsa's guardian had entered the room. He had very important news to share. "My liege, she has come."

"WHAT?" Larsa had blurted out loudly. He immediately dropped his papers and fled to his small vanity mirror to fix his unkempt, shoulder-length dark brown hair. His hair had always been unruly, but never as unruly as this! He quickly got his comb and brushed his hair towards the sides of his face. "This is not possible! She arrived three hours earlier!"

Gabranth looked at Larsa for a while and just shrugged. "Should I call her in, Excellency?"

The emperor gave a quick nod before dismissing the man in golden armor. Larsa took one more look at himself, checked his breath and teeth, even to a point where he had to smile to himself. "She is so enthusiastic about this."

Larsa had been talking about a girl he had met before. Though he had only met her once, this girl proved to be a very entertaining person. Her name was Katrina, a palace messenger who lived down by the Phon Coast. She had been writing letters to him ever since, sending along little snippets and pictures. One time, Katrina had even sent a bottle full of sand!

The judge came back in the study with a petite girl with hazel eyes and long raven hair tied up in a plain pony-tail. She was wearing a bronze cocktail dress and over that a cream bolero.

"You are very early today," Larsa teased.

"I'm an early bird," Katrina replied, folding her arms. She gave Larsa a grin, which later turned into a sweet giggle.

Gabranth smiled. "Shall I leave you and Lady Katrina alone, Lord Larsa?"

Larsa gave Gabranth a crooked smile. "Yes…indeed." His gaze was affixed on Katrina, who was just watching the conversation happen with an undying smile on her face.

"I am afraid my office is quite messy," Larsa said shyly. "Please, let us move to the Tea Room where it is cleaner." He then turned to the incoming maidservant. "Please bring my breakfast away. Thank You."

The old woman bowed reverently. She carefully spirited away the breakfast which consisted of untouched toast bread, scrambled eggs and marmalade. Katrina saw this and wondered why Larsa had not even touched his breakfast.

Larsa took her to the hallway, where they walked together. Golden pillars marked the boundaries of the area and ornamental plants were positioned next to curtain-drawn windows.

"I have to ask you something, though," Katrina said wearily.

"What is it?"

"Are you…_Stressed Out?_"

Larsa just raised one of his thick brows and grunted. He shook his head and just continued walking, pretending nothing had happened. His walk became more intense as he paced through the hallway.

Katrina tilted her head in confusion.

"Ah! Here we are!" Larsa announced as they reached a large, marble door. "This is the tea room." He pulled down two silver handles at the same time and pushed forward, revealing a beautiful room.

The room was white. The ceilings were decorated with angels and clouds while the floor was marble black. The sofas were large but uncomfortable (the stereotypical ones).

"This is amazing!" Katrina exclaimed, almost dropping her jaw. "Larsa, everything here is so intricate!"

"I knew you would like it," Larsa replied. He walked over to the largest sofa and allowed Katrina to sit down first. He sat next to her. "The tea shall come in a while."

Just on cue, the butler came in with a silver tray. On it, the most beautiful porcelain tea set was placed next to a saucer with toast on it. "Tea is served, my lord."

"Thank you."

Larsa extended his hand to reach for the tea but discovered a hand had gotten there first. It was Katrina's hand. And only then had he realized his hand was atop hers.

Katrina jerked her hand back in shock. She flushed a red color on her cheeks. Her face was really hot. "Oh, I'm awfully sorry."

"No, it's perfectly acceptable," Larsa forced a smile, clearing his throat. "As they say, '_ladies go first_'."

The two had tea in silence. That is, until Katrina decided to speak up. "I don't mean to burst your bubble or anything but you haven't answered my question."

"Oh?" Larsa replied curtly.

"Are you stressed out?"

"No. Not at all."

What a terrible lie. Archadians always did have the habit of lying, especially in Archades. But Larsa was never a liar; well at least Katrina thought that. "I sleep sufficiently," Larsa said formally, holding his head high. "I wake up in the right time and the right place and my duties follow solely."

"Oh…alright…" was all Katrina could have said. "It's just that I saw the maidservant carry your breakfast away. It looks like you haven't even touched it, though!"

"Fine," Larsa said. "I must admit that sometimes I am a bit reckless to those matters."

"Did you even eat your dinner?"

"No."

"Your lunch?"

"You are not my mother!"

Katrina shook her head. "I know that I'm not. But I also know you should eat and sleep properly, too! Come on, Larsa."

Larsa rose from the sofa and beckoned her to the balcony outside the tea room, which overlooked the whole of Archades and some parts of the Tchita Uplands.

He pointed around the area. "Do you see all of this? This is the empire I must rule, no matter what. A burden that the gods have instructed upon man, the curse an emperor must uphold."

"I just…care about you," Katrina reasoned, her voice becoming faint. "I can't afford to see you doing this to yourself: not eating or sleeping! You can't to these things to your family. You're the last—"

Larsa shifted his head back and narrowed his eyes. "Last what?"

"_The Last One_, Larsa. That's what you are."

"It's time to look at the real world," Larsa said firmly. "No one can get what he wants."

"You're talking like a grown-up. You're just a kid, you know. A kid just like me!"

"SO THAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO BOSS ME AROUND?" Larsa shouted so loudly that the pigeons next to him were forced to flee. They sounded a frightful tune.

Katrina's eyes became teary. It was as if Larsa had no respect for her. She was just trying to help. "This is what you think of me?" she said softly, shaking her head. "So I'm just another one of those palace servants, right? Well…if you don't need any of my help I'll be leaving! GOODBYE!"

The girl walked right out of the tea room, banging the large doors behind her. The chandelier swung vigorously from side to side and some parts of the ceiling cracked.

*****

Katrina was running for a long time, but she couldn't figure out where she was. She passed an archway, went down a flight of stairs and passed by rows of guards. Where was she?

Just then, she had bumped into Larsa's guardian, Judge Gabranth. "Lady Katrina, are you well?" the man asked.

She shook her head pushed him back and ran into the nearest open room. The man grunted in pain, and then tried to find out why the girl had been so depressed.

Minutes later, the hot-headed emperor followed Katrina's path and saw Gabranth looking right into Larsa's cold blue eyes.

"Have you seen Katrina?" Larsa asked, shifting his head vigorously. "I have been looking for her everywhere yet I cannot find her."

The soft cry became louder.

"I bet you know where she is already, Excellency. A word of advice; be not a fool in front of your guest. She has brought you great happiness."

"I shall talk to her," Larsa said, straight-faced. "I'm going to apologize to her."

Larsa slipped into the room and saw Katrina bury her face in a sea full of pillows on a soft, dark green bed with a canopy. There were wet spots all over the blanket and on some of the pillows.

He knocked subtly on one of the bed-posts to get Katrina's attention. The girl looked up, but after a few seconds she buried her face again. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?" She asked, her voice a bit muffled.

"Well, the door was open," Larsa replied. "Plus it was quite unfortunate you had fled to my bedroom."

"Your bedroom?!" Katrina almost choked at the thought of it. How unlucky. This would have been the first place Larsa would have looked…

She stood up straight, ignorantly and looked around the room. "But this room is so small! It doesn't fit an emperor like you!"

Larsa just had to laugh. And this made Larsa happy because he had never laughed in a long time. Sure, he would smile at some funny jokes…but laugh? Katrina worked wonders.

"I'm the fourth son of Emperor Gramis, remembering," he replied, ganging up on Katrina. "Being the fourth runt doesn't exactly give you all the benefits."

"You're not a runt," Katrina commented.

"I was being sarcastic," replied Larsa curtly.

Katrina broke his long, piercing gaze and looked away. "I still won't forgive you," she said bitterly. "I thought we'd have a fun day together. I didn't know it would turn out to be one of your political speeches on how unlucky you are…"

"I am sorry," Larsa replied.

Katrina pretended like she didn't hear it. She surveyed the room and looked at Larsa's desk. There were pictures of her everywhere, neatly framed and placed in a line. She managed to open one of the drawers and saw that all her letters to him were neatly filed by date in simple plastic envelopes. "Wow…nice collection you have here, your highness."

Larsa gasped. "No, wait! It's not what you think!" He rushed over to the desk and slammed the drawer shut. He placed his hand on it so Katrina could not open it again.

Katrina just laughed. "So you do really like me! You're so funny, really!"

Larsa gulped. "And I am sorry for what happened a while ago. The Emperor is sorry."

"Are you using third person or something?"

"That was the Emperor you were talking to a while ago. Now you're talking to the real Larsa Solidor. No emperor and all. Just plain old Larsa. I sometimes forget that my duty is not solely as an emperor."

"You are seriously bi-polar."

Larsa laughed again.

"Listen," Katrina said firmly. "I will forgive you, being the nice person I am. But, as penance, you will have to do something in return."

"And what is that?"

"You'll see. Just bring your swimwear, some suntan and meet me in the Archades Teleport Crystal in one hour. You must be alone. Don't bring anything else with you."

"Fine. I shall comply with your ways."

"Wonderful!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

That noon, Emperor Larsa had been searching through his own closet for some swimwear. He had a couple of decent shirts, but when he had tried them on, they were awfully tight. So he decided to go into his own brother's room and get some clothes from him. Larsa managed to get his own brother's tiny camisoles and footwear. He ended up wearing a grey sleeveless shirt, dark blue shorts and dusty old sandals.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," he told to himself. "But at least I get to be off duty for the rest of the afternoon."

He stuffed a large, silk towel into a bag and tossed sunscreen right down with it. When all was said an done, Emperor Larsa walked down an enormous spiral staircase.

"My lord! My lord!" Gabranth said. "Where are you going?"

"I have no idea!" Larsa replied, chuckling.

"W-What about your duties for the day?"

"Pass them to the Senate!"

"Shall I accompany you?"

"No. I shall be alone."

"Oh, I see…"

Larsa almost toppled over because one of his sandal straps snapped in half. But he grunted and quickly moved along just fine. That is…until…

"Lord Larsa, wait!"

Larsa looked back. "What is it?"

"Good luck on your date!"

"It is not a date! It is merely a penance!" Larsa could not help but laugh after a few minutes of thinking about what he had said. He decided to give his guardian a nice big hug. He had never given one a hug in a long time, and realized how much he had missed in a span of two years.

It made him remember his former guardian, by the name of Noah. He was far dead, and was replaced by his current guardian Basch (disguised by the name of Gabranth, of course).

"I miss Noah," he said warmly.

*****

In exactly an hour, Larsa had made his way towards the Archades Teleport Crystal. With the swarming paparazzi around, he decided to disguise himself in a worn-out cloak. He wore additional sunglasses to cover up his recognizable blue eyes. The emperor took the cab towards the district of Tsenoble, in which the crystal was found. There he found Katrina, standing impatiently, tapping her heel on the ground.

"Lar--!" Katrina called as she saw him.

"Shhh!" the emperor hissed, placing his finger over her lips. Again, she flushed a color of red across her face.

"I'm sorry…" Katrina said softly. "I promise: no names. Hey! You aren't wearing any gloves!" Katrina did like noticing habits and clothing of other people, especially Larsa's. Larsa wore some of the most expensive clothing in the land.

As for the habits: Larsa liked biting his lip when he got nervous and massaging his temples when he got irritated. And she noticed he would grunt every time he got annoyed.

"Now, tell me," he said, taking off his sunglasses. "Where are we going?"

"Well…none other to the Phon Coast!"

Katrina shouted joyfully as she touched the Teleport Stone. Katrina grabbed Larsa's soft hand as they were enclosed in a bright, white light. There was a spectrum of colors that blinded them, and sooner they found themselves another land.

This was the Phon Coast. It was a beautiful seaboard which stretched out for miles. The sand was white and the sea a beautiful and glassy blue so that it would be possible to see the colorful fishes. The sky was a bright as ever, and the clouds fluffy. There were Cumulus clouds and some cirrus clouds as well. The landscape was very beautiful indeed.

"We went to the beach?" Was the first of Larsa's ranting. "Why would we go to the beach?"

"To take away your stress, of course!" Katrina replied. "This is where I live, silly! Everything here's peaceful, unlike you people who live in the city. Try to enjoy yourself while you're at it."  
"If you insist…" was Larsa's response.

"Now come on! Let's have some fun!" Katrina laughed, as she grabbed Larsa's wrist and tugged him down to the water. Larsa dropped his bag halfway and his old cloak went flying through the air. "Last one into the water's a rotten Alraune!"

Katrina was disappointed to see Larsa had not been complying with her. Larsa had firmed his bottom on the sand and just sat upright, looking at the waves crashing against the shore. He carefully took out his sandals and let his feet feel the sunlight.

"Hoy! Come over here, would you? It wouldn't kill you to have some fun!" Katrina shouted, waving her hands vigorously. She had already been out three meters off shore.

Larsa moaned. He stood up and walked into the water, wetting a bit of his shorts. He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "There. You happy?"

"Don't tell me you're just gonna stand there!" Katrina said. "Do something fun…like splash in the water or something!"

He kicked the water. "There."

"No, silly!"

"Ugh!" Larsa groaned. "This is immature!"

Katrina ignored him and started splashing water on him. All his clothes were soaking wet, and this made him angry. "Is this your idea of fun, Katrina?"

"Yeah! And is standing in the water doing nothing your _IDEA_ of fun?" Katrina bantered.

"Touché," Larsa teased.

Katrina sent more splashes to Larsa eyes. He growled in pain. "You have to defend yourself, Larsa!" Katrina laughed as she sent more splashes. Her giggling was very contagious and Larsa had to chuckle as well.

"Fine. You want a wave? _Waterga!_" Larsa used his magic to summon a large wave that headed towards Katrina. The girl attempted to scamper to the shore, but was eaten up by the water. Moments later, her head popped out of the water, laughing. Tons of seaweed were entangled in her hair and she laughed even more.

Larsa couldn't help but laugh as well. He laughed a bit harder than usual that he was about to snort. He abruptly stopped it.

"I haven't done this since I was a kid," Larsa commented, smiling.

"You still are one, Larsa."

Larsa just shook his head. "Well…I am not supposed to be one in front of Archadia. I am supposed to be one who is very strong, and wise."

"Ugh!" Katrina just grunted. "You keep on thinking about how people will judge you. Just think you aren't the emperor for a sec, okay?"

Just then, Larsa's stomach growled.

"See," Katrina laughed. "Even your own stomach agrees with me."

"Let us go eat something," Larsa said. "I skipped two meals ever since last night."

"Sure. The Hunter's Camp is a few steps away. We can order something decent there."

The two of them had continued into the Hunter's Camp where headhunters were all gathered. There were some friendly few, and other hunters that were not to be tempered with. Katrina said hello to a batch of hunters she knew very well, and ignored the fact that Larsa was hiding his face from the world.

The two entered a small, open-air diner with a few tables. The wind fingered through Larsa's hair and he could smell the salty seawater.

"You just sit there, and I'll get us something to eat. Would you like some coconut juice or something while you're at it?" Katrina asked.

"Oh, very well," Larsa replied, putting his elbow on the table.

Katrina quickly nodded and fell inline with other customers.

Larsa was drumming his fingers on the hard, wooden table and took an assessment around the area. He saw fishing boats coming in from the horizon. Father fishermen were drawing in the freshest batch of shrimps, and little children came to applaud him. There were other children dancing around a small fire, which apparently they had made. Some children were also building sand castles, and throwing sand-pies at each other for the fun of it. Some mongrels were wagging their tails and barking at the waves that tickled their paws.

_Why is life so peaceful here? _Was the first thought that entered the Emperor's mind. _I guess that is because they work and play, perchance. The city folk work and work and hardly have any time for idle pastimes. _

"Larsa, the food's here," called a voice. Larsa snapped out of a reverie and saw Katrina was looking him straight in the eye, holding a tray with two coconuts and two burgers.

"Oh?" Larsa looked at her blankly for a second. "Oh, yes! The food. I am sorry."

Katrina pulled up her chair and placed the tray in the middle of them. She handed one plate over to the emperor, who had fixed his body posture. Larsa took it and thanked her, but later he was quite perplexed because he had never seen a burger before.

"Excuse me, but where are the utensils?" Larsa inquired shyly. "D-Don't you u-use any?"

"Of course we use utensils," Katrina laughed. "But you don't need any utensils to eat burgers. You use your hands, of course!"

Katrina rubbed her hands, licked her lips and grabbed her own burger. She chomped off a bit. After swallowing, she looked at Larsa again. "There! That's all you have to do. It's simple!"

Larsa raised a brow. "Well…I shall try it."

Larsa followed Katrina's "simple" instructions. He was surprised to find out that the hamburger was actually very delicious. He commented, "This is delicious! I had no idea it would taste like this."

After a few more minutes of consuming their burgers, Larsa finally licked his fingers, signaling that he was done eating. "You know, Katrina, you're not like any of the Archadians I know."

"That's because I live differently. I live by my own rules," Katrina replied curtly. "All the girls pamper themselves with make-up and all those fancy stuff. I don't need those things. I barely have the money to afford them."

"That's what I admire about you Katrina," Larsa commented. "You do not really care about your looks. I reckon you focus more on the personality?"

"Surely," Katrina said. "It's the heart that really matters."

"I would want to thank you again for accepting my invitation," Larsa smiled. "You have brightened my day once again."

"Oh, no problem," Katrina replied. "But I have to tell you something. I didn't just accept that invitation of yours just because you were an emperor or because you're really handsome. Well, I accepted it because I knew…"

"Knew what?"

"I knew that you were lonely and needed a friend. I know how hard it is to be alone in this world, confined by your own paperwork and stuff. I just really want you to be happy and to know that you're not alone. I accepted your invitation so you wouldn't go through life without getting to know about it."

"_It_?"

"Friendship. Love."

Katrina put her hand over his.

"Well, I don't exactly put romance in my life first…" Larsa said in a low voice. He slid his hand away from the table. "But I thank you for your efforts."

"So…you mean you don't have anyone special in your life?"

Larsa was silenced. He looked away.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. It's quite personal, isn't it? Anyway we have a lot to accomplish and my list still isn't complete! We're going kayaking and snorkeling and all those stuff!"

Larsa smiled warmly. "You do know you don't have to do all of these things for me."

"I know. But I want to!"

Larsa chuckled.

*****

The two of them went down to the shore and sat by the water's edge. Katrina had told Larsa that watching the clouds go by was an excellent way of relaxation.

"Hey look at that cloud!" She cried, pointing at a big fluffy cumulus formation. "What does that remind you of? It reminds me of a banana!"

"It reminds me of the Royal Throne," Larsa responded in some sort of monotonous voice which told Katrina that he was not enjoying it.

"Okay, let's go to the second item on our itinerary." Katrina had changed the topic. "Sleeping." She faced the emperor. "What time did you sleep last night?"

"I slept well last night!" was the dreadful response of the emperor.

"I was asking the time!"

"Fine. One thirty a.m."

"Then you need to sleep! I'll go rent one of those huts so you can go catch some shut-eye!"

Katrina stood up and looked down at him.

"If you _insist_," growled Larsa, standing up.

The two of them followed a trial down by the shore and ended up finding a small shack. Inside the shack were two bunk beds. You could smell the saltiness of the sea, as a matter of fact, and you could feel the sea breeze rushing through your hair.

"Perfect." Katrina smiled. She turned to Larsa and looked up at him. "Very well then, go and get some sleep if you must!"

Larsa shook his head in irritation, but he had to cope with the ways of this girl. He tried to sleep on the bed, he really did. But vivid images of paperwork, spilled ink, mug stains on the study desk were filling his mind. What if he was really stressed out? He knew not. The emperor turned and tossed restlessly. "I cannot sleep."

"Insomnia?!" Katrina cried out loud.

"I don't know."

"Well, I could always…put you to sleep with a good spell, you know…" a little smiled crept up on Katrina's face.

"What? Impossible!"

"_Sleepga!_"

The spell worked immediately. The Emperor Larsa had fallen into a deep slumber, snoring lightly. Every time he exhaled, a portion of his bangs would fly up, and then sink back down.

Katrina smiled and felt confident that her plan for a stress-free day would work. She took a checklist out of her bag and checked the second item on the list.

The next thing Larsa knew is that he had woken up from a very interesting dream. He had dreamt about this girl. What was her name? Oh, yes…Penelo. This Penelo was saved from an untimely death, by Larsa himself. The two became friends quickly, and sooner best friends. But one day, she had just disappeared and Larsa could not contact her. He could not stay best friends for very long.

Larsa saw Katrina sitting on the top bunk bed, writing in her personal diary. She looked down at him and smiled. "So, did you have a good nap?"

Larsa smiled and then stretched his arms. He did not comment, but his face told it all. "I've had a pleasant dream."

"Hmm?" Katrina teased. "About that girl?"

Larsa blushed uncharacteristically. "No!"

Katrina's smile got even bigger.

The two of them continued the day with different activities like chocobo-riding and scuba diving. Larsa himself got a bit darker because of the sun's blistering heat. The two of them had a good time, and ate a hearty lunch.

"You know," Katrina had told him when they were walking down by the shore. The sun was about to set, and the sky was painted in hues of orange and red. "You have a very nice smile, Larsa. You should use it more often. It's such a shame not to use it on that handsome face."

Larsa smiled again. "Thank You."

The emperor looked at Katrina's hand. He had wanted to hold it. He tried to get closer to her, but she shifted her body rapidly.

"Look! Look! It's the sunset! It's the sunset, Larsa! This is the best part of the day!" She sat down on the sand and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Larsa sat next to her, his heart pumping vigorously. Katrina was smiling at him, hoping he would enjoy the view of the sunset. _I'm already enjoying the view from here,_ he told himself.

At once, Katrina put her hands down to balance herself. "Isn't it so pretty, Larsa?"

Larsa held her hand. "Yeah, you are."

"What?" Katrina laughed.

"Yes…It is! The sunset if very beautiful!" Larsa's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed a brilliant red.

"Well, it will be dark soon. We best head back to the palace," Katrina smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Larsa had retuned to the palace with a smile on his face. His clothes seemed to sparkle much more than they used to, and his smile! Oh his smile made all the servants wonder what had happened to him.

Basch bumped into the emperor. "Good noon, Emperor Solidor. How was your date?"

Larsa grinned. "Acceptable," he said primly. He couldn't resist but laugh, and this made the judge laugh as well. Larsa gave the man a nice, friendly hug.

That night, Basch had been making his nightly rounds along the palace gardens to check if there were any unwanted guests. To his surprise, he found Katrina staring down at the fountain and poking her finger into the water.

"Ah, Katrina, just the girl I wanted to see," he said in a soft, low voice, hoping not to destroy the slumber of any emperor.

Katrina looked back and smiled. "Yes?"

"You have finally done it," he said.

"Done what?" asked Katrina, puzzled.

"Brought happiness back to his highness," he replied, taking his seat next to her by the fountain. "It has been two long years. I have not heard the young lord laugh. To think it was so long ago…I want to thank you."

"No problem!" Katrina laughed. "All you need is some discipline in laughter and fun!"

"I was wondering, though," the judge continued, taking off his helmet. "If you can stay a bit longer His Excellency would want that. He doesn't say it, but I think he may take interest in you."

Katrina blushed. "I'd be honored."

"Excellent," Basch said, putting back his helmet. He followed it up with a nod. "I shall tell his Excellency immediately. He shall be glad."

*****

The next morning, it was Larsa's turn to show Katrina his world. The emperor woke up at about six-thirty in the morning and took a good bath. He summoned Katrina by around seven and they headed to the senate building. Apparently, the senators had called for a meeting.

The two of them were waking around a hallway, when a senator suddenly passed by. The old man was wearing a dark, purple cloak along with the linen hood. His face was filled with wrinkles, his eyes a rusty red. The badly shaven beard made him look like a drunkard.

"Ah, good morning senator," chirped Larsa.

The senator bowed to him. "Oh, good morning, Emperor Solidor." He looked at Katrina and furrowed his brows. "And hello, who is this?"

Katrina broke the gaze of the senator, fearing his rusty, red eyes. She instinctively, slid behind Larsa.

Larsa could hear the hoarse breathing of the old senator. His nostrils bulged with sudden rage. "Calm now!" cried the emperor, taking Katrina's hand. "Senator Ross, I shall be a bit late, for about five minutes or such. I wanted to give our guest a humble tour of this marvelous building."

"Yes, excellency," replied the senator, walking away. He took one last glanced at the girl beside him and grumbled.

Katrina looked around, worried.

"Do not fret," Larsa said, letting go of her hand. "The senators' barks are worse than their bites."

"They're very grumpy," Katrina commented.

While the emperor was giving the tour, the senators were having a private conference of their own. All nine, old devious men were cramped up in a small meeting room, exchanging whispers.

"Have you seen the girl?"

"What girl?"

"Lord Larsa has invited a guest."

"What is her purpose?"

"No one knows."

Just then, Senator Ross walked in.

"This is the chance we need."

"The chance for what?" Ross snapped.

"We are looking for Lord Larsa's potential empress, are we not? We are the senate, gentleman, and it is our job to assure the emperor finds his match."

"I shall test her," Ross grimaced.

"Hear! Hear!"

The nine old men laughed.

While Emperor Larsa had been having his meeting, Ross had slipped out for a bathroom break. But his real intentions were to test that mysterious girl who had just popped into the emperor's life.

Katrina had been walking around the main hallway, and found a room that said _Solidor_ on it. She thought it was Larsa's office, but it turned out to be a gallery dedicated to the history of the Solidors.

Katrina switched on the lights and found rows of precious artifacts lined up in straight rows inside viewing boxes for the world to see. She saw pictures of the famous Solidor emperors from the year 417 to the present. She even saw a picture of Larsa's dad. Oh, how old he was!

She just noticed that the Solidors had been carrying on their royal line for hundreds of years. To think poor, fourteen-year-old Larsa was the last one.

"You are looking through our collections?"

Katrina's heart stopped and she looked back. It was the same, grumpy senator they and met earlier. That Senator Ross. She moved back into the wall and felt her back hit a table.

"Do not worry," the senator said in his grimy voice. "I do not bite. He was beaming down at her with his rusty, red eyes. His face seemed to be red with anger as well.

"I-I was c-curious," Katrina replied.

"Answer this question, child," continued the senator. "Do you take any sort of interest in Emperor Larsa Solidor?"

"What?" Katrina blushed. "I don't get it."

"I said do you harbor feelings for him, you child! Tell me now!"

"He's my friend," Katrina had replied, her voice shaking. She couldn't take the deadly gaze of the old man.

"I see…" Senator Ross said coldly. "Goodbye, and enjoy your day…" With that he took flight and left the room silently, like a phantom in the middle of the night.

Before Katrina left, she felt the old man forcefully bump into her and tug at her bag. She was so scared already, so she fled immediately and waited right outside the senate building's main gate.

During lunch, the senators had invited her to dine with them. Of course, the emperor had to be there too, that is, to protect her from any sort of malice.

"So, Lady Katrina," started one of the senators, who had just seemed to be finished munching on his bread. "Tell us what you enjoy doing."

Katrina looked at the men, and then to Larsa. "Well…um…I like making songs and writing stories. I can also play the piano…I guess."

Some of the senators whispered to each other and nodded their heads. Ross, on the other hand, was frowning. There were a few more whispers before Ross rose from his chair.

"Now, I must ask you one more question," he said. "What did you do with Emperor Larsa yesterday?"

"Absurd!" Emperor Larsa jolted up from his seat. "Senator Ross, you dare interview us about our private affairs!"

"I do not intend to offend you, your highness." The senator fell silent with many questions in his mind. He examined Katrina.

Another wave of whispers.

Larsa exhaled deeply and his eyes lingered around the room. He heard the senators formulate more questions. He furrowed his brow.

"Do you have any special skills, Lady Katrina? Do you know any magicks?" asked the oldest senator, a bit cocky.

"I am a summoner, your honor," Katrina said shyly. She knew there were only a handful of summoners in Archadia. These summoners called beasts from the far away worlds of the Espers.

Larsa's shoulders seemed to relax.

"You are certainly defensive, Emperor Larsa," commented another senator, cracking his fingers. Larsa sneered at him and went back eating his meal.

After lunch, Larsa and Katrina went back to the palace, but what they did not know was that one of the senators, Senator Malignus had been following them. The senator was light-footed, so his footsteps could rarely be heard pacing across the cold marble floor.

"I'm starting to hate the senate," Katrina said as they turned a corner to enter another hallway. Malignus poked his head through the wall's edge and peered at the two of them walking together.

"Now you know how I feel." Larsa rolled his eyes. "That's where I gained this annoying attitude. I try my best to have patience with them, but they provoke me. Senator Ross is the most challenging one."

"You, know, he interviewed me…"

"Really? What did he ask?"

"He asked if I had feelings for you."

"What did you say, then?"

"I--" Katrina stopped. "I told you—I mean him—that I liked you. I mean, as a good friend." She did not make eye contact with him.

"Oh…" Larsa seemed disappointed.

"But I really like you!" Katrina suddenly blurted out. "I like you more than you really know! You are the nicest guy I have ever met."

"Thank you," he replied faintly, with coldness in his voice. He did not know if he was happy or not. He was just confused. And he wondered if he could be more than just friends…

"I feel like we're being watched."

Malignus jerked his head back. Oh, he hoped he was not seen! _If the emperor sees me, I am surely in trouble!_

"Is there anyone else with us?" she asked, looking back. She saw nothing but an empty hallway. The colonnade's shadows were making stripes on the black marble floor.

"No. In fact, this is supposed to be a private area," replied Larsa, checking his back once more.

"Oh, okay," Katrina said in a low voice.

Larsa and Katrina were alone. The emperor just noticed it now. "If you want…" Larsa continued. "We could go out at dusk. We can go to the _Valefor_. It is the five-star restaurant by the aerodome."

"That would be wonderful," she smiled.

Katrina had found a piano by late afternoon and started playing it. She thought it would have been a good idea to compose a song, just for the two of them. _This would brighten Larsa's day,_ she thought. _After all those paperwork_.

And of course, Malignus had been there the whole time, hiding inside a large closet right behind the piano. He pressed his head against the slightly open door and saw Katrina making up its tune. He was amazed by how fast she could master a song.

"This girl is talented!" he commented on his way back to the senate. He entered through the unwelcoming doors of the senate building and came to announce the good news.

"Impossible!" Ross frowned.

"What if she is really talented? What do you want Ross? Do you want her to summon a Shiva?"

"Then Lord Larsa would find an empress!"

"No!" Ross growled. "There are no greater ladies we can pair to this emperor than my own flesh and blood. My granddaughter, Abigale Ross!"

"But Lord Larsa has a liking for this—"

"What matter?" replied Ross curtly. "You may think the young emperor may find his match, or even better a wife. But this girl is _weak_. Weak as if you can catch her off guard and throw her off a cliff. She will not know what is coming!"

"But this…this girl can be good for Larsa," explained Malignus dejectedly. His eyes were full of sorrow.

"And why your granddaughter Ross?"

"Because…"

"You want to use her, you old dog!" Malignus cried out. "You would use your own granddaughter to coax the emperor. And surely you do this for power!"

"Ross, you are a madman!"

Senator Ross groaned and sat down. "Gentlemen, tonight we shall give her the final and ultimate test. I placed an artifact right in her purse. Tonight, Lord Larsa will regret the day he met her."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"What are you playing?"

Katrina looked back and saw that the emperor, tired but happy, had entered the ballroom where the grand piano was. Even at the brink of collapsing because of fatigue, the emperor maintained his royal disposition.

"Oh! It's nothing…" she replied, alarmed. She changed the piece she was playing. Larsa stopped her fingers with his hand. His silken gloves brushed against her palm.

"No. I wanted to hear what you were playing a while ago. Do play it again. What is its title?" Larsa let go of her hand and sat beside her on the piano seat.

Katrina's face became hot. "Well…I wanted to make a song…for the both of us. I mean to say thanks for everything you did for me."

"Oh?" Larsa seemed interested. "Do you have lyrics to it? Perhaps…you can sing it to me?"

"Well…I did have lyrics," Katrina said. "But, oh! Look at the time! Well, we better go, right?"

"I can spare some time. Please," he insisted. "Sing me your beautiful song. No one's played this grand piano for years. As you can see all its bolts and rusted. Some of the strings are broken as well."

Katrina sighed. "Okay. I'll do it for you…"

She started playing a soft tune. It sounded much like a lullaby. Then she went down by two octaves to play a melancholic yet romantic piece. She then cleared her throat. She was going to sing.

"_I thought I'd only see you_

_At the bottom of my dreams_

_I wish I knew the words to tell_

_But these things I cannot speak_

"_You hold me tight, you say goodnight_

_And then you see me through_

_Your words echo through my head_

_I LOVE YOU_

"_Even if you're far away,_

_These words will never die_

_These times we had: it makes me laugh_

_And sometimes even cry_

"_Whisper to me now these words_

_Send to me now your love_

_Give to me now your heart_

_In fate, we're one_

"Well…that's all I made so far…" Katrina laughed, as she turned red. "Yeah…" She exhaled deeply and looked at Larsa, who was smiling back at her.

"Well, it seems you haven't made a chorus yet…" Larsa said, scratching his chin. "Perhaps I can add to this?"

"Oh, surely!"

"Well…" he said in a soft, low voice. "How about this? I just formulated it in my mind just now:

"_I LOVE YOU I do,_

_Through the million stars in the sky_

_I'd sail, I'd climb, I'd run_

_To catch a glimpse of your eye_

"Hey! You're not bad at this at all!" Katrina said. "Okay…let's continue…:

"_I'd do these things to spend one day_

_Lying here in your arms_

_I Hope you feel this too_

_I LOVE YOU_

"There! Marvelous, Katrina! You finished the song. With my help, I believe," Larsa teased.

"And what shall your reward be, Emperor Larsa?" she asked in a formal tone.

"A dinner date."

Katrina's eyes grew wide.

That evening, Larsa had brought her to the _Valefor_, a five-star restaurant near the Archades Aerodome. The Valefor was one of the best restaurants in Archades.

The nine, devious men who had heard about the restaurant through Malignus had reserved a table there as well. They sat in a small function room, hidden from the eyes of the emperor.

"This is it," said Ross, clasping his hands.

"Senator Ross, by all things decent, I beg you to stop this madness!" Malignus pleaded. "You are going too far!"

Senator Malignus looked around at the other senators. All of them were silent and shifty-eyed. "So none of you would want to stop this monster?" he boomed out.

"With all due respect, Malignus, you have yet to gain our trust," said the oldest senator again. "Ross—he has been with us since the Emperor Gramis. You—you are a newly elected one. If Ross says that his plan shall work, we shall see."''

Malignus looked around in indignation. Did none of the senators trust him? Was that why he was the only one speaking out? Oh, if only the senators could see the real evil in Ross. Malignus had to do something.

Ross rose from his seat and went to the Emperor's table. Apparently the two youngsters were talking about chocobos and how useful they were. "Good evening, my liege," Ross said.

"Senator Ross, what brings you here?"

Katrina gulped as Ross and her exchanged glances. "Oh, nothing, Excellency," he lied. "I was just making sure that you were alright."

"Indeed I am," Larsa replied. "Not to fret. My cortege is outside the building. There are no perpetrators here. Are you…stalking us?"

"Are you, sir, aware that your girlfriend is a thief?" Ross asked, patting Katrina's head.

"What are you saying?" Larsa looked at Katrina, then, to Ross, then back to Katrina again.

Katrina shook her head in shock. "What did I do? I didn't do anything at all!"

"Oh really?!" Ross pulled Katrina up by the collar and gazed at her. "Emperor Lasa, the thief Is right here! If you claim not to be the thief, empty you bag!"

"See, look!" Katrina took everything one by one out of her bag. She took out a wallet, she took out a picture of Larsa, she took out a comb, and suddenly she gasped.

"Yes…" Ross muttered to himself.

Katrina took out a strange, mysterious pendant out of her bag. It was pure, solid gold. It was the family crest of the Solidors! "Impossible!" she cried out. "I've never seen this thing before! I didn't steal—"

"Oh?" Ross interrupted. "Emperor Solidor, what do you make of this?"

"Katrina…I thought—" Tears started flowing out from his eyes. "I thought—"

"I didn't do it! I swear!" she cried out.

"I saw it myself, m'lord!" Ross boomed. "She was there in the Gallery of Solidor History! She took it and tried to sell it! Of course, everyone knows she is from the Phon Coast! What do people do there? Trade to Balfonheim!"

Larsa looked at Katrina. "Did you do this?"

"I didn't steal anything! I didn't steal anything!" she yelled, as tears gushed down her cheek. "Larsa, you have to believe me, you just have to!"

"Guards!" called Senator Ross.

Imperial soldiers broke into the building, their armors clanging so loudly it made Larsa's ears hurt. Two Judge Magisters came in as well. This included Basch and another man named Zargabaath.

"Arrest her!" Ross commanded.

"Larsa, listen! I didn't do anything!" Katrina screamed. Guards were taking her by the limbs. "Ross did it! He's the one that framed me! It's his fault."

Basch looked at the boy-emperor and saw that he was crying on his seat. He did not want to show it, but tears were flowing down his face.

Ross approached the emperor. "Even roses have thorns, my dear boy."

After the incident, Ross walked back to the senators. He was laughing by himself. All the senators were silent as if the Angel of Death had passed over them. "Why is no one laughing?"

"Horrible, Ross, Horrible."

"Emperor Larsa, are you well?" asked one of the other senators, approaching the table where Larsa had been crying. The emperor's face was red as a ripe tomato and his hair was a complete mess.

Though, he nodded his head. "I would want a rid home," Larsa said monotonously.

"Of course, m'lord," Ross said. "You may opt to ride home with us, if you wish. My granddaughter Abigale is a beautiful young lady—"

Larsa had signaled him to stop. "I think I have had enough of beautiful young ladies…"

Meanwhile…

"Hey! Don't touch my hair! It took me ten minutes to pin it up!" Katrina screamed violently.

"No talking, o'right!" said one of the imperials. They pushed the poor girl into one of the cells in the Archadian Dungeon. Katrina tumbled in headfirst into the dirt, and her hands got cut by the broken shards that laid there. "You have the right to remain silent. All you 'ay shall be taken again against ye!"

"I told that I'm innocent!" she snapped.

"That's what all you lot gotta say!"

"Don't I at least get a fair trial?"

"Yes she shall." It was another voice. Katrina recognized this voice. It was no other than Judge Gabranth.

The guards looked back and bowed to their master in full fatigue. "I need to be left alone with the detainee," the man instructed. The guards bowed once more and then left.

"Basch, you know I didn't do it."

"I believe you," he replied. "And I shall help you in court tomorrow. A friend of ours wanted to give you a letter. Here."

The judge handed over a letter and Katrina held it close to her heart. "Will Larsa be there?"

"I know not. I am sorry."

Katrina opened the letter carefully, her hands still aching from all of the cuts. She slipped out the piece of paper and read it. It was from Senator Malignus. A wide smile crawled on her face.

Senator Ross's private airship had been flying smoothly through Archades to escort Larsa back to his home. Ross presented his own granddaughter, Abigale. She was an annoying girl about Larsa's age with burnt sienna hair.

"Oh my, you look wonderful tonight, Emperor Larsa," she did comment, curling the locks of her hair.

"Thank you," Larsa replied wryly.

"Do you like my nails?" she said, showing him her brightly colored nails. Each nail had a different color. "I painted them…just for you!"

"They are _nice_."

"Is that _all_ you have to say?"

Larsa was annoyed even further when the girl started stroking his hair. "What are you trying to do?" he inquired.

"Oh nothing." And with that the girl blushed and giggled. "Your hair is amazing! Do you use hairspray?"

"I do not believe so," Larsa said, rolling his eyes. His hair was naturally fly-away, and he found it hard to keep his hair tamed.

Ross noticed that the emperor was not at all pleased with his granddaughter's well-being. "Abigale, stop this nonsense! Tell his highness now of your talents. She plays the piano, my liege."

"I do?" Abigale asked, her head tilting.

Ross looked at her bitterly.

"Oh…well I do!"

"We were wondering, though," Abigale continued. "If you could give me the tour of your palace. That would be wonderful."

"It may be very late at night, but I think I may be able to show you a bit of the palace," Larsa replied, forcing a smile on his face.

"Excellent," Ross smiled.

The private airship docked right beside the throne room. Emperor Larsa let Abigale out, but stopped Ross from exiting the vessel. Larsa gave him a stern look. "I will find out what you are up to, Senator Ross. I swear it."

Ross grimaced. "We shall see."

Larsa took Abigale to his own private quarters, shutting the door tight behind it. "This is my room," he said. He switched the lights on.

Abigale looked around the room. It was as neat as always. She scanned the emperor's desk and found the pictures of Katrina. "Who is this?"

"That's my friend."

"You love her, don't you?"

"I…I used to."

Abigale placed her hand on Larsa's shoulder. "I have to tell you something. It's about my grandfather. He's just asking me to act this way."

Larsa looked at her, confused.

"My grandfather uses me," Abigale explained. "He wants me to be attracted to you. He wants you to like me. I am sorry."

"But…why?"

"I don't know exactly why, but I know it has something to do with this Katrina of yours. I think he placed some sort of object of in her bag…to trick her!"

"The pendant," Larsa said softly. "I knew it. Katrina didn't do it at all! Abigale…your grandfather…We must find him!"

The two ran down to the docking area. The cold, dark wind was blowing bitterly outside. The private airship was gone, and so was Ross. He was gone. Gone with the wind.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

"It is almost time."

The sun was just about to rise when the judge had returned to Katrina's prison cell. "The sun is almost up," he continued. "The trial shall begin when the sun surpasses the peak of the tallest mountain."

"W-what if they win?" asked Katrina.

"Then…" Basch had tried to make it easier for her to understand. "Then…we shall see."

Oh! Katrina did know the punishment for treason in Archadia. There was only one good punishment for that. It was Death. Death by all means evil and wicked.

"I didn't do it…" she muttered to herself.

"KATRINA!" a familiar voice shouted.

The girl saw two figures enter the cell as well. It was Emperor Larsa with Abigale Ross! Oh, what relief! Katrina rushed to greet him.

"Larsa! I---" Katrina was stopped in the middle of her words by a pair of lips. A pair of royal, imperial lips that tasted better than any fine dish she had ever savored in her life. Larsa had been kissing her, and she had been kissing him.

"Larsa…"Katrina said after his lips unlocked. "Wow…." Speechless as of the time, her eyes just widened and she was bewildered by the mere fact that the Emperor of Archadia gave her very first kiss.

"Listen," he said softly, placing his hands on her shoulder. "I know you did not do it. Abigale explained it all to me. It was Ross!"

"Ross, that demon!" Katrina yelled.

Abigale cleared her throat, insulted.

"Oh, I beg your pardon," Larsa smiled as he licked his lips. "This is Abigale. She is Senator Ross' granddaughter. She had told me about that man's devilish plot against you. Hurry, we shall come to the Supreme Court immediately. But no one should know about this secret meeting. I had barely made it out alive through the waves of press."

"Don't leave me…" Katrina begged.

"I promise I will never leave you again. But I must be seen in court. I must be present and do the jurisdiction as commanded to me. Cast the _Vanish_ spell on Abigale and I. We shall sneak out."

Judge Gabranth nodded and used a spell that rendered the two invisible. But before the two left, Abigale told Katrina secretly, "You are a very lucky girl! I never thought Senator Ross could go this far. I must stop him. I must stop him by all things good."

*****

The Archadian court contained over two hundred old nobles, both men and women. All were considered wise and knowledgeable, but in reality most of them were corrupt.

Trumpets sounded as the Emperor Larsa walked formally into court. He wore his little crown proudly, and all the men and women came to bow down to him. He tidied his hair, and cracked his fingers. Gracefully, he sat down on the front row of the viewing area.

_This is it, Emperor Larsa_, he told himself. _You know this is for the best. Katrina shall win, you know it! And when she shall be claimed righteous, you shall go towards her and announce to all of the world your—_

His thoughts were cut short as he saw Senator Ross, entering the court. There were many whispers among the jury. Ross was seated on the high platform next to the judge.

Katrina was much relieved to find out that the judge was no other than Gabranth himself. _Good grief,_ she thought. _At least it is not that other guy. What was his name? Ah, Zargabaath!_

She looked back and saw Larsa was seated at the back of her, a few meters away.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury," Judge Gabranth said after they had sung the Archadian National Anthem. "Let us listen to Senator Jacob Ross' side of the story. Senator, you make take your stand."

Ross proudly stood up and walked to the center of the court, where all eyes were focused on him. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Emperor Larsa and Judge Gabranth, it was not so very long ago that Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, the handsome young man in the front row found out that this girl," Ross pointed to Katrina. "Lady Katrina, a loyal guest of his Excellency, stole a relic from the gallery in the Senate Building!"

The two hundred nobles gasped and started whispering to each other. All of them fixated their eyes on Katrina.

"Isn't that right, my dear girl?" Ross grimaced. He slammed his hand on Katrina's table.

"I didn't do it!" she protested.

Ross chuckled. The senator faced the jury. "She is a thief and a liar, my lords and ladies. I have seen it with my own eyes! She was sneaking around the Gallery of Solidor History and happened to stumble across the pendant of the late Empress Dahlia. I tried to stop her, I really did! But she had used a sleep spell on me!"

Basch raised a brow.

"Friends of the senate," Ross said, looking at the eight other senators gathered around small table. "I believe this is the right time to expose the truth to Lady Katrina over here!"

Katrina rose from her seat. "What truth?"

"Lady Katrina, please sit down," Basch said

"Haven't you heard, child?" Ross smiled evilly. "Haven't you heard that we were merely looking for an empress for him? We asked Emperor Larsa to send that invitation to you so we could test if you were a match for him!"

"I-I don't understand…" she looked at Larsa. "What's going on?"

"Do you really believe that he loves you?" Ross laughed so hard that tears started pouring out of his rusty, red eyes. "Do you actually think he cares about you? Ha! Fie! Fie! Fie! In fact, he has nothing to do with you. It was _all_ planned."

"AN OUTRAGE!"

All the court turned silent. Emperor Larsa had raised his voice so ferociously it had forced people to cover their ears. Larsa had yelled so hard that all his blood rushed to his face and the large artery on his neck was obvious from afar.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Archadian Court, I believe the rightful empress is no other than my beautiful granddaughter, Abigale Ross. Stand up for me now, Abigale!"

Abigale rose up from her seat, forcing a fake smile on her face. Was she willing to take the chance of embarrassing herself and committing the greatest lie of her life?

"Say something!" Ross said, winking his eye. This was the cue to let Abigale start her practiced speech. She had been practicing that speech for days now. But No. She wasn't going to do it. She had to put her grandfather's chronic lie to an end.

"L-ladies and Gentle," she said shakily. "I am Abigale Ross. I…"

Ross crossed his fingers.

"I am not worthy to become empress…" Abigale looked and pointed to Katrina. "She is supposed to be your next empress! Katrina was the one whom Larsa loved with all his heart. Senator Ross tricked you all!"

Abigale sat down quietly and looked down at the floor with wretchedness. Ross's eyes bulged and became even redder.

More whispers. Ross could only keep quiet

"Thank you, Ross family, for sharing such information. Now, it is time to let Katrina on to the stand to say her part."

"With pleasure!" Katrina laughed, tucking the letter given by Malignus into her pocket. "Members of the Jury, I am neither thief nor liar. Senator Ross, I believe that you will take interest in this tape."

She inserted a cassette into a player. A surveillance image came out on a large projector screen behind her. _Latest, State-of-the-art technology really helps now-a-days_, she told herself.

"This was taken yesterday, at around 10:30 in the morning. The senate building is under surveillance, am I correct?" Katrina looked at Ross. She finally had the strength. "If Senator Ross was smart anough, he would have sabotaged the tapes."

"Impossible! There are no surveillance cameras in the building!" Ross barked.

"That is what you think," Katrina snapped back at him. "Emperor Larsa is the only person who has access to the whole building. Surveillance cameras can only be found in the private office of the emperor and the Gallery of Solidor History."

The video started playing. It showed Katrina walking up to Ross. Ross has forcefully bumped into her and he slipped the pendant into Katrina's purse.

All of the audience gasped. Larsa just started to smile. _What a very clever girl,_ he thought.

Katrina then asked Abigale to take a small, round bead out of her pocket. "As you can see, ladies and gentlemen, that there is a missing piece from the necklace." She then took out the stolen necklace from Abigale's bag. "See! The piece fits! This is a susceptible bead. It had fallen off the pendant otherwise! Where did you find this bead, Abigale?"

"On Senator Ross' desk," she replied.

Ross stood from his platform and tried to run to the nearest exit, but he was barricaded by the emperor himself!  
"Emperor…Larsa!" Ross smiled.

"Judge Zargabaath, Arrest this man!" Larsa ordered. The judge came in with a large shackle and placed Ross in chains. He was then brought to Katrina.

"You may do the honors, Katrina," Larsa winked at her. Katrina laughed and gave him a contemptible slap. The court cheered before he was sent to prison.

Larsa came down to her, and took her hand. He kissed her again full on the mouth. Even Senator Malignus had to scream when he had seen it. All the press suddenly swarmed into the room and started taking pictures.

"Sometimes the simplest things are hardest to say. I should have said it a long time ago," Larsa whispered, smiling warmly. "I Love You, Katrina. I really do."

"I love you, too!" she laughed.

Then, the emperor suddenly got down on one knee. "Katrina, will you be my empress?"

"YES! YES! YES!" she jumped up and down like a berserk monkey.

The audience laughed. They clapped to acknowledge Emperor Larsa and soon-to-be Empress Katrina. All wise men and women rose from their seats, and it ended up to be a standing ovation.


End file.
